Momentum 4 vs WH-1000XM6 Comparison

Compare Momentum 4 vs WH-1000XM6 side by side: specs, ratings, pros and cons, and which one fits your room best.

On this page
Editor's pick
Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless
Momentum 4
Sony WH-1000XM6 wireless noise canceling headphones in black and platinum silver
WH-1000XM6

At a Glance

Momentum 4

The Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless is an over-ear headphone with 42 mm dynamic drivers, hybrid adaptive ANC and support for SBC, AAC, aptX and aptX Adaptive.

View on Sennheiser (opens in a new tab)
Best For
Long trips
Style
Over-ear (around-the-ear)
Weight
—
ANC
Hybrid adaptive ANC
Mics
4 (2 per side)
Boom Mic
No
Talk Time
60 h
Connect
—
WH-1000XM6

The Sony WH-1000XM6 is Sony's current flagship over-ear headphone. It pairs adaptive noise cancelling with 30 mm drivers, Bluetooth 5.3 and the widest codec list in this group: SBC, AAC, LDAC and LC3.

View on Sony (opens in a new tab)
Best For
Frequent flyers
Style
Over-ear
Weight
254 g
ANC
Adaptive noise canceling (auto optimizing)
Mics
12
Boom Mic
No
Talk Time
30 h
Connect
Bluetooth, 3.5 mm cable

Review Scores Compared

Expert Score

  • Momentum 47.5/10 Leads
  • WH-1000XM67.3/10

Voice & Mic Clarity

  • Momentum 46.0/10
  • WH-1000XM66.3/10 Leads

Comfort & Ergonomics

  • Momentum 4—
  • WH-1000XM69.0/10

Connectivity & Range

  • Momentum 48.5/10 Leads
  • WH-1000XM67.8/10

Battery & Charging

  • Momentum 49.6/10 Leads
  • WH-1000XM66.2/10

Why Momentum 4 Beats WH-1000XM6 (and Vice Versa)

Why Momentum 4 beats WH-1000XM6

  • Better battery & charging: 9.6 vs 6.2 out of 10
  • Better connectivity & range: 8.5 vs 7.8 out of 10
  • Driver Size: 42 mm vs 30 mm
  • Frequency Response: 6 Hz - 22 kHz vs 4 Hz - 40 kHz (JEITA, wired, powered on)
  • Sensitivity: 106 dB SPL (1 kHz / 0 dBFS) vs 103 dB/mW (on)
  • Talk Time: 60 h vs 30 h

Why WH-1000XM6 beats Momentum 4

  • Wired Listening: Yes (1.2 m detachable cable) vs Yes (3.5 mm / 2.5 mm audio cable included)
  • Microphones: 12 vs 4 (2 per side)
  • Microphone Setup: 12 MEMS (Multi Noise Sensor) vs MEMS, 2 per side (beamforming)
  • Bluetooth Version: 5.3 vs 5.2

Review-score leads of 0.5+ points out of 10 first, then specs where only one comes out ahead.

Full Specifications

General

Momentum 4WH-1000XM6
Best ForLong tripsFrequent flyers
Wearing StyleOver-ear (around-the-ear)Over-ear

Design & Build

Momentum 4WH-1000XM6
Weight—254 g
ColorsBlack, White, Graphite, Brown, Teal, Copper, Denim—

Audio

Momentum 4WH-1000XM6
Driver Size42 mm Better30 mm
Frequency Response6 Hz - 22 kHz Better4 Hz - 40 kHz (JEITA, wired, powered on)
Bluetooth CodecsSBC, AAC, aptX, aptX AdaptiveSBC, AAC, LDAC, LC3
Driver TypeDynamicDynamic
Impedance470 Ω48 Ω
Sensitivity106 dB SPL (1 kHz / 0 dBFS) Better103 dB/mW (on)
Spatial Audio—360 Reality Audio, 360 Upmix for Cinema
Wired ListeningYes (3.5 mm / 2.5 mm audio cable included)Yes (1.2 m detachable cable) Better
Stereo / MonoStereoStereo

Noise Cancelling

Momentum 4WH-1000XM6
Noise CancellingHybrid adaptive ANCAdaptive noise canceling (auto optimizing)
Active Noise CancellingYesYes
Transparency Mode—Yes (Ambient Sound Mode, Speak-to-Chat, Quick Attention)
Adaptive ANCYesYes (Adaptive NC Optimizer)

Microphone

Momentum 4WH-1000XM6
Microphones4 (2 per side)12 Better
Microphone SetupMEMS, 2 per side (beamforming)12 MEMS (Multi Noise Sensor) Better
Call Noise ReductionBeamforming—
Boom MicNoNo
Mic Frequency Response50 Hz - 10 kHz—
Mic Pickup Pattern2 mics per side, beamformingOmnidirectional

Battery & Charging

Momentum 4WH-1000XM6
Talk Time60 h Better30 h
Charging Time2 h Better3.5 h
Fast ChargingYes (5 min = up to 4 h)—
Music Time60 h Better30 h
Charging PortUSB-CUSB-C
Talk Time (ANC On)—24 h
Music Time (ANC Off)—40 h
Battery Capacity700 mAh—

Connectivity

Momentum 4WH-1000XM6
Connection—Bluetooth, 3.5 mm cable
Bluetooth Version5.25.3 Better
Multipoint—Yes (2 devices)
Wireless Range—10 m
Bluetooth ProfilesA2DP, AVRCP, HFPA2DP, AVRCP, HFP, HSP, TMAP, CSIP, MCP, VCP, CCP, PBP, GMAP
Cable Length—1.2 m
LE Audio / Auracast—Yes (LC3)

Controls & App

Momentum 4WH-1000XM6
Management Software—Sony Sound Connect

In the Box

Momentum 4WH-1000XM6
In the BoxHeadphones, carry case, USB-C cable, 3.5 mm / 2.5 mm audio cable, airplane adapter—
Carry CaseYes (carry case)—

Identifiers

Momentum 4WH-1000XM6
Model Number—WH-1000XM6

Takeaways

  • Our pick: Momentum 4, with the highest spec-based rating (4/5).
  • Choose Momentum 4 for long trips.
  • Choose WH-1000XM6 for frequent flyers.

Pros and Cons

Momentum 4

PROS

  • Up to 60 h with ANC on
  • Hybrid adaptive ANC
  • aptX and aptX Adaptive support
  • 42 mm drivers

CONS

  • Weight and multipoint not listed on the spec page we checked
  • No LDAC

WH-1000XM6

PROS

  • Adaptive noise cancelling
  • SBC, AAC, LDAC and LC3 codecs
  • Up to 30 h with ANC (40 h off)
  • Multipoint and wired 3.5 mm option

CONS

  • No boom mic for noisy calls
  • LDAC only helps with Android or other LDAC sources

Similar Comparisons

Quick Verdict

  • Momentum 4 7.5Best overallLeads in Connectivity & Range, Battery & Charging
  • WH-1000XM6 7.3Leads in Voice & Mic Clarity